Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Scores Explained

This video provides an in-depth explanation of Press Ganey patient satisfaction scores, a critical metric within the U.S. healthcare system. Dr. Eric Bricker, the speaker, begins by establishing Press Ganey as a prominent American company that has been surveying patients about their healthcare experiences for 38 years. He emphasizes that understanding Press Ganey scores is essential for anyone working in healthcare, including those in the pharmaceutical industry, hospital administration, and employee benefits. Over 50% of U.S. hospital systems utilize Press Ganey to measure patient satisfaction with their physicians, and the company has relationships with over 41,000 healthcare facilities, making it the largest patient survey organization in the country.

The video delves into the specific methodology of Press Ganey surveys, focusing on the 10 questions asked about individual physicians after a patient visit. These questions cover aspects such as friendliness, clarity of explanation, concern for the patient, inclusion in decision-making, medication information, follow-up plans, speech clarity, time spent, confidence in the doctor, and whether the patient would recommend the doctor. Crucially, Dr. Bricker highlights the unique scoring system: each question is rated on a one-to-five scale (very poor to very good), but only "very good" (a score of five) responses count towards the doctor's official Press Ganey score. The final score is presented as a percentage of "very good" responses out of the total. For a doctor to receive a score, a minimum of 30 patient surveys are required, meaning 300 individual responses across the 10 questions.

Dr. Bricker presents compelling data illustrating that patient satisfaction with doctors is overwhelmingly high. Even physicians in the bottom 10th percentile of scores still receive a "very good" rating on 70% of responses, while top 10th percentile doctors score 91% "very good," and the median is 82%. This narrow range and consistently high scores across all specialties (e.g., dermatology, OBGYN, surgery, oncology) lead to three major implications. First, healthcare providers and hospitals cannot effectively compete on patient satisfaction because nearly all patients are highly satisfied with their doctors. Competition, therefore, must shift to factors like access to appointments or out-of-pocket costs. Second, it is futile to attempt to pit patients against their doctors, as patients overwhelmingly like and trust their physicians. Third, and most significantly, doctors serve as the most effective conduit for any healthcare initiative aimed at patients, given their strong bond and influence, surpassing that of insurance companies, employers, or the government.

Key Takeaways:

• Press Ganey's Dominance in Patient Surveys: Press Ganey is a leading American company, used by over 50% of U.S. hospital systems and connected to over 41,000 healthcare facilities, making its patient satisfaction scores a ubiquitous and essential metric in healthcare.
• Physician-Specific Survey Questions: Press Ganey surveys include 10 specific questions about a doctor's performance, covering aspects like friendliness, clarity of explanation, empathy, patient involvement in decision-making, medication information, follow-up plans, communication clarity, time spent, patient confidence, and willingness to recommend.
• Unique "Top Box" Scoring Methodology: The most critical aspect of Press Ganey scoring is that only the highest rating ("very good" or a 5 out of 5) counts towards a physician's score. Any rating from "very poor" to "good" (1-4) does not contribute positively to the final percentage.
• Universally High Patient Satisfaction: Patient satisfaction with doctors is remarkably high across the board. Even physicians in the bottom 10th percentile of scores receive a "very good" rating on 70% of responses, while the median score is 82%, and top 10th percentile doctors achieve 91%.
• Inability to Compete on Satisfaction: Given the uniformly high patient satisfaction scores across all physicians and specialties, hospitals and individual doctors cannot differentiate or compete effectively based on patient satisfaction alone.
• Alternative Competitive Differentiators: Instead of satisfaction, healthcare providers should focus on competing in areas such as patient access (ease of getting appointments) and out-of-pocket costs, as these are factors where patients perceive significant differences and value.
• Strong Patient-Physician Bond: Patients exhibit a strong, positive bond with their doctors, making it ineffective and counterproductive for other entities (like insurance companies or employers) to attempt to create friction or pit patients against their physicians.
• Physicians as the Primary Conduit: Doctors are the most trusted and influential conduit for reaching and influencing patients. Any initiative or message intended for plan members or employees and their families should ideally be channeled through their physicians to maximize impact and acceptance.
• Consistency Across Specialties: The high and narrow range of patient satisfaction scores holds true across all medical specialties, indicating a widespread positive perception of doctors regardless of their area of practice.
• Minimum Survey Threshold: A physician requires a minimum of 30 patient surveys (totaling 300 individual responses across 10 questions) to generate an official Press Ganey score.
• Implications for Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences: Understanding the physician's role as the primary conduit for patient influence is crucial for pharmaceutical and medical device companies in developing effective commercial operations, marketing strategies, and patient engagement programs. Solutions that empower or leverage the physician-patient relationship will likely be more impactful.

Tools/Resources Mentioned:

• Press Ganey: The company providing patient satisfaction surveys.
• AHealthcareZ.com: The website for the channel, offering healthcare finance educational videos and a newsletter.
• "16 Lessons in the Business of Healing": A book by Dr. Eric Bricker, the speaker.

Key Concepts:

• Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Scores: A standardized metric used widely in U.S. healthcare to measure patient experiences and satisfaction with physicians and facilities.
• Top Box Scoring: A specific scoring methodology where only the highest possible rating (e.g., "very good" or 5 out of 5) is counted towards a positive score, effectively setting a very high bar for satisfaction.
• Conduit: In this context, referring to physicians as the primary and most trusted channel through which healthcare information, initiatives, and influence can effectively reach patients.